Great Smoky Mountains National Park Institute at Tremont offers several guided backcountry overnight hikes as does The University of Tennessee and A Walk in the Woods. All guided hikes have registration fees.

Backcountry Reservation Office: 865-436-1231


• Institute at Tremont Guided Overnight Hikes
• Mount LeConte Hike and Overnight in the Lodge

A Walk in the Woods Guided Overnight Hikes:

Backpacking 101: Everything you ever wanted to learn about backpacking, but were afraid to ask - Turn that curiosity into knowledge with a one night trip into the woods. Learn everything about the exciting and challenging sport of backpacking while meeting other people. On this trip, you will learn all the steps needed to become a proficient backpacker, find out what to pack and not to pack, how to pack and how to wear your pack for the most comfort. You'll learn how to use the best gear and what to do in the event that things don't go as planned, if the weather changes or your gear doesn't work well. You'll learn how to identify wild plants, which ones are edible and poisonous, how to cure headaches and poison ivy, and how to survive in case of emergency. We'll start with a brief class on backpacking and apply it in real life.
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Appalachian Trail Adventure One-Night Backpacking Trip - Disconnect from the stress of modern life and corporate pressures while exploring the famous Appalachian Trail. Find out why thousands of people have attempted to thru-hike the AT. This trip will take you over the second highest peak in Eastern North America as you explore the Boreal Forest of the high country, a forest normally found in Canada. Your guide will introduce you to the AT on this one night trip through the Smokies. You will gain confidence as you learn all the steps needed to become a proficient backpacker. Our experienced guide will teach you what to carry and what to leave behind, as well as time-tested strategies for packing and enjoying the optimum comfort and fit from your pack. Learn the techniques for taking the pain out of hiking, rules of hydration, blister prevention, the best cooking and purification gear, the etiquette of spending the night in an AT trail shelter, and low impact use of the backcountry. Before the trip is through, you will know how to identify several of the most useful upper elevation wild plants and trees, their medicinal and edible uses, plus crucial wilderness survival skills. This short trip is a great way to ease into the art of backpacking, and the mystique of the Appalachian Trail.
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Appalachian Trail Adventure Three-Night Backpacking Trip - Ready for more of a challenge? This three night Appalachian Trail backpacking trip is just the thing. This trip covers a part of the highest section of trail east of the Rockies. Traverse a narrow ridgeline as it passes through old-growth forest. On clear days, enjoy breathtaking views of the sea of mountains that seem to unfold forever as we pass some of the most prominent geologic features in the Park. Explore the forest that you love, stand in awe under ancient trees, some of the oldest in East, discover plants and animals found only here and no where else in the world. Learn about those plants and their traditional uses for food and medicine. Experience a taste of the Appalachian Trail thru-hiker life by spending nights in primitive AT shelters. Never backpacked before, but looking to challenge your body and mind? Gain confidence and knowledge while traveling with a guide. We'll take the worry out of venturing into the unknown, whether you are alone or with your family and friends, learn all the steps needed to become a proficient backpacker, from what to pack and how, which gear is best for you and how to use it, the do's and don'ts of a successful trip. Already an experienced backpacker? Hone advanced skills with an experienced guide. Learn survival techniques, the latest strategies for avoiding lightening during storms, cut through the confusion over hydration, proven methods for taking the pain out of backpacking, and much more. Warning, this trip might tempt you to become a thru-hiker.
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Llama Trekking (overnight trips):

Smoky Mountain Llama Treks - Enjoy hiking spectacular, scenic trails in the Smoky Mountains - Llama Trekking with professionally-trained, friendly, fluffy pack-llamas! Kike various, easy-to-moderate trails in pristine forests of the Smoky Mountains and in beautiful Pisgah National Forest. Some are private lands and others are public, but all provide a memorable adventure.
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